The Last Ride Home
by Chillicat
Summary: The Winchester brothers take on a vengeful spirit with a penchant for hot blondes.
1. Chapter 1

**Supernatural is solely the genius creation of Eric Kripke. However in a dream reality I would spend my days writing Supernatural scripts. So Eric, if you're reading, I'm available!**

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MOVIDA NIGHT CLUB - NIGHT

An blonde girl exits the restroom. MELANIE TANNER. She's wasted. She moves unsteadily through the dancing crowd towards her girl-friend at the bar.

She's sensitive to the flashing lights and the loud music. She's had enough. She tugs on her friends arm. "Hey, time to go."

But CHELSEA doesn't want to go home yet. "Here, take my keys."

"What? Why, what about you? How are you going to get home?"

Chelsea grins wickedly and motions to the cute guy on the other side of the bar. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I've got some unfinished business to take care of."

PARKING BAY -

Propping up against the car for support, Melanie struggles to get the keys in the door. "Come on." She drops the keys. "Shit."

She bends down to get them. Bad idea. Her head spins. "Whoa." She rests her head against the car.

BUS -

A group of rowdy teens sit at the back. They whistle as Melanie walks down the aisle. She nervously tugs at her short skirt. She sits at the front. To be safe.

Melanie wakes up. The bus is now empty. She rubs her neck and wonders how long she's been asleep for. She looks out the window. She doesn't recognise where she is.

"Did we pass Ashland already?"

The bus driver doesn't answer. He keeps on driving. He doesn't even look at her. He stares straight ahead.

Now she's scared. "Hey! Stop the bus!"

He turns to her. She SCREAMS. His eyes are missing. In their place are two black holes. She screams again.

The bus smashes through the bridge and plunges into the lake. Sinking into the darkness. Drowning out her piercing scream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Supernatural is solely the genius creation of Eric Kripke, however in a dream reality I would spend my days writing Supernatural scripts. So Eric, if you're reading, I'm available!**

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CAFE -

SAM and DEAN WINCHESTER sit at a table. Dean munches on fries drenched in ketchup while Sam scans the newspaper. "What you got?"

Sam drops the paper onto the table. "Missing girl."

"You got anything else? I don't mean to be funny but the last missing person's case we had you nearly got yourself eaten. So you can't blame me for being a little reluctant. I say we head to California and go help Britney Spears exorcise her demons." Dean grins.

But Sam isn't laughing. Dean sobers up. "Spoilsport."

Sam ignores him.

"Alright. Any demonic signs, crop patterns, unusual behavior before she disappeared?"

"No"

Dean goes back to his fries. "Then its just a regular missing person. That's the cops job. Not ours."

"I don't know Dean."

"What's to know?" Dean says with his mouth full.

Sam turns the paper around so that Dean can see the photo. Its the same blonde girl from earlier. Melanie Tanner.

"Cute"

"Dean."

Dean grins.

"Look closely."

Melanie wears a unusual crucifix around her neck. Dean drops his half-eaten burger back on the plate and pulls the paper closer. "Well I'll be"

"Exactly"

Dean perks up. "You think we'll dealing with a cult? Mind control. Kinky sex games"

"Ritualistic killings. Dean this is serious. Melanie's been missing a week. If it is a cult abduction then she could just be the first."

Dean thinks that over. "Alright. Lets go check it out."

COLLEGE CAMPUS -

Dean and Sam talk to students. Decked out in suits and ties. They flash their fake ID. This time they're impersonating police officers.  
They meet up at the fountain.

Sam raises an eyebrow. "Anything?"

"Nope. You?"

"Same."

Dean watches a trio of pretty students walk past. They look at Dean and giggle. Dean nods back. "They might know something."

"Dude, they're freshmen."

"Got to cover all angles Sam. All part of the job." Dean strides over to the girls. Sam shakes his head, he can't help but smile.

MOVIDA NIGHT CLUB -

Flashing lights. Music pulsates. Young, scantily clad writhing bodies. Dean checks out the club with interest. Sam motions to the bar where a pretty brunette sits. CHELSEA. She knocks back tequila and flirts with the barman.

Sam looks at Dean. "Hardly the grieving best friend."

Sam doesn't approve. Dean does. She's stunning. "Let me handle this."

"Just try and remember why we're here okay?"

"Of course, I'm a professional." Dean grins as he heads for the bar. Leaving Sam alone, but not for long.

Sam stands out in this crowd. And the girls like that. He's soon surrounded by hot college girls. Sam swallows. He's uncomfortable with the attention.

The girls try to get him to dance with them. Sam quickly joins Dean at the bar.

"Chicken." Dean laughs at Sam's discomfort.

Sam orders a cold drink. It's getting a little hot in there.

Chelsea smiles at Sam flirtatiously. "Hi I'm Chelsea."

Sam's smile is short and strictly business.

"This is my brother Sam."

Her face lights up. "Brothers? Do I get a two for one deal?"

Dean laughs. Sam gets straight to the point. "So you knew the girl that went missing, Melanie Tanner?"

Chelsea looks bored. Everyone keeps asking her the same question. "Yeah"

"You're not worried that she's missing?"

"She's a big girl, she can take care of herself." She smiles at Dean suggestively. "And so can I."

Dean nods. He's sure she can.

Sam takes over. "So you were the last person to see her?"

"Aren't I the lucky one?"

"Did she say anything about leaving town?"

"Look, she probably hooked up with some guy. She'll show up in a few days." Chelsea pulls Dean close. "I'll tell you what, why don't we lose groucho here and the two of us go back to my place."

Dean is up for it. Sam coughs. Dean sighs. "I can't. Got an early start."

"Too bad."

Dean watches her walk away. He whacks Sam in the arm.

"Ouch. What was that for?"

"Killjoy."

Sam and Dean exit the nightclub.

"Well that was a waste of time."

"What did I tell you? This one's for the cops Sam".

Dean watches as a petite blonde climbs into the passenger seat of a black truck. A heavily tattooed man climbs into the drivers seat. The truck drives off.

"Looks like everyone getting some action except us. I say we head to Fort Lauderdale. Spring Break. Pool parties. Skimpy bikini's. What do you say?"

Sam sighs. "Fine."

"You're agreeing with me?" Dean's surprised.

Sam shrugs. Dean grins. "Alright!"

BLACK PICKUP TRUCK -

The petite blonde and her tattooed boyfriend fight. She wrestles with the door handle. "Let me out! I want to get out!"

"Don't be stupid."

"Don't call me stupid! I mean it. Let me out. Let me out of this freaking car!"

He slams on the brakes. "Fine!"

The truck comes to a screeching halt. She falters for a moment. She didn't think he would really do it. But she won't back down now. "Fine!"

She climbs out. So does he. "Come on babe, I'm sorry okay. Get back in the car." She walks away from him.

"Get back in the damn car!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Its late. I'm tired, you're tired, lets just go home."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

He grabs her arm. She pulls away. "Let go of me!"

He puts his hands up. "Fine! If that's what you want."

The door slams and he speeds off.

She swallows. She starts to take in her surroundings. The road is empty. Quiet. And totally dark.

She takes a deep breath. Nervously scanning the thick forest growth that banks the road. She walks quickly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

A OWL HOOTS. She jumps. "Shit." She laughs nervously.

She looks behind her. Hoping to see her boyfriend's car but the road is empty. She takes out her cell. But there's no reception.

In the distance she can see the lights of the town. She's relieved she's nearly home. She just has to cross the bridge.

We can hear an engine running in the background. She spins around. "I knew you'd come back for me."

The words die out on her lips. Its not him.

She shields her eyes from the intense glare of the headlights. Then there's that noise that a bus makes when it comes to a stop, a kind of whooshing sound.

Then the lights go out.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean whistles a happy tune as he drops his bags in the trunk. Sam reluctantly follows.

"Why so serious? You should be happy. No demon to vanquish. No bad guy to chase."

Sam shrugs.

"You been working this job too long Sam."

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

Sam motions to the square across the street. A crowd is gathering. Local people. Carrying flashlights. They watch as a woman (Valerie) puts up a poster. Right underneath the poster of Melanie Tanner. Another girl has gone missing. Another blonde. STEPHANIE WALKER. Sam and Dean exchange a look.

"Looks like Fort Lauderdale is going to have to wait."

Dean closes the trunk. "Man"

They move closer. Scanning the poster.

"She look familiar to you?"

Dean cocks his head. "The chick from last night. She was with that tattooed dude. Who said blondes have all the fun huh?"

"That's two girls now Dean. And we still don't have a clue what is doing this."

"What or who?"

The tattooed guy stands in the middle of the crowd. In the light of day he's huge. Pure muscle. He looks nervous.

"That look like guilt to you?"

Dean starts forward, but at that exact moment Valerie decides that she wants to leave too. They smack into one another.

"Why don't you watch where you're going!" She's about sixty, frail, and she's been crying. She wears a unusual crucifix around her neck.

Sam steps forward. "Are you okay?"

She doesn't stop to reply, rushing off as though a demon were on her tail.

Dean brushes himself off. "Hey don't worry about me. I'm fine."

When they turn back the tattooed guy has disappeared. "Great."

Dean reaches for his keys. He frowns. He searches his pockets. "Dude. Give me the keys."

Sam frowns. "I don't have them. You had them."

"Sam!"

"I don't have them Dean."

Dean looks around. He looks back at Sam. It clicks. "Son of a -- the old lady. she must have swiped the keys whe she hit me."

Dean runs back to where he left the car. It's still there. "Thank God."

He tries the doors. They're locked. He picks up a stone. He grimaces. He doesn't want to hurt his baby.

Dean rams the stone down on the lock. The trunk opens.

An assembly of weapons, shotguns, knives, machetes, fill the trunk. Dean sighs with relief. Everything looks okay.

He grabs the set of extra keys from the hidden compartment at the back.

"Dean? Where's dad's journal?"

The journal is missing. The journal that contains everything you need to know about Demons and Spirits.

"Son of a bitch."

"In the wrong hands that book could be lethal Dean."

Sam and Dean exchange a look. "Civilians."

A black truck speeds past. The tattooed guy is at the wheel.

Dean closes the truck. "First things first."

TATTOOED GUY'S HOUSE -

The tattooed guy heads for the kitchen. Sam and Dean follow. They scan the house as they walk through. Looking for anything out of place. Any sign of the missing girl. But everything looks normal.

"I already told the cops everything I know."

Dean smiles. "Good. So it should be fresh in your memory."

The tattooed guy gets a beer from the fridge. He offers one to Sam and Dean. Sam shakes his head. Dean does to, albeit more reluctantly.

"You want to tell us what happened?"

"I dunno. I tried calling her this morning and I got nothing. The phone doesn't ring or nothing. So I go round there and"

"Let me guess...nothing."

Sam gives Dean a look. He turns back to the tattooed guy. "Go on."

"That's all there is."

"So the last time you saw her was when you dropped her home?"

The tattooed guy looks nervous. "Yeah"

This guy is useless at lying. "What time was that?"

"What?"

"What time did you drop her home?"

"Er, It must have been about, uh, 2?"

Sam and Dean exchange another look. Sam makes a note in his notebook. The tattooed guy watches them uneasily. Panic setting in.

"You see the thing is, we checked with her roommate and she says that Stephanie never made it home last night. So, do you want to start again? From the beginning?"

The tattooed guy looks cornered. "We had a fight."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know."

Dean pulls the tattooed guy up out of his chair. Gets in his face. "I said where is she?"

"I don't know. I swear to god. I don't know."

"I think he's telling the truth Dean."

Dean lets him go. Sam tries the gentle approach. "What did you guys fight about?"

The tattooed guy takes a swig of beer. "Everything. Nothing. She thought I was checking out some other girl. But I wasn't. I swear I wasn't. She wanted out. So I let her out."

"Where?"

"On Jefferson about six miles out of town."

"You left her to walk home? Alone?" Dean can't believe this guy.

Tattooed guy looks down at his feet. You can tell he feels lousy about it. He looks up at Sam. "She's gonna be okay isn't she?"

Sam feels sorry for the guy. He hands him a card. "Call us if you remember anything else."

"Oh and one last thing." Dean takes out a photo of the other missing girl, Melanie Tanner. "Do you recognise her?"

The tattooed guy looks it over. He shakes his head. "No."

The door shuts behind them. Dean shakes his head. "What kind of man lets his girlfriend walk home by herself in the middle of the night? Loser."

Sam sighs. "He's got to live with it Dean."

"Good."

ROAD - DUSK

Roughly six miles out of town on Jefferson.  
Dean pops the trunk. He takes out a flashlight and a shotgun.  
Sam and Dean search the forest that banks either side of the road. Looking for any sign of the missing girl.

"Hey Dean!"

"Yeah?"

"I think I've got something."

Dean doubles back to Sam. Sam points to the bus stop. Dean looks blank.

"Dude, its a bus stop."

"Somebody give the guy a gold star."

Sam ignores him. "Buses have surveillance cameras."

Dean gets it. "Find the bus, find the girl."

"Exactly."

"Huh. Good thinking Sherlock."

EDWARD CAIN'S HOME -

Dean knocks at the door. Sam adjusts his tie. Sam and Dean are back in their suits.  
The door opens. A middle aged man stands there. About Sixty. "Edward Cain?" Dean asks.

Edward nods. "Can I help you?"

They show him their fake police ID. "We're hoping you can."

Sam and Dean perch on the edge of a worn looking sofa drinking coffee.

"So you think that girl got on my bus? That route's always quiet. There was a time when they were thinking of closing it." He looks lost in the past for a moment, then he comes back. "I don't remember any girl getting on."

Sam takes out the photo of the missing girl. He passes it to Edward.

Edward sighs. "She's a pretty young thing. I don't know what's happening to this town. Used to be such a safe place."

"Have you see her before?"

He stares at the young girl. He shakes his head. "Sadly no. I wish I had."

"Are you sure?"

Edward gives Dean a look. "I may be one week away from retirement son, but I ain't claiming my senile check just yet and if I say I didn't see the girl then I didn't see the girl."

Sam looks away, covering his smile. He spots the photos on the fireplace. Group photos of uniformed bus drivers.

"How long have you worked in public transport?"

Edward stands up. Joins Sam at the fireplace. Sam picks up the group photo.

"45 years." He says proudly. "Lots changed since then."

Sam places the photo back. Next to it is a photo of a much younger Edward standing beside a woman. "Your wife?" Edward coughs. He gets a little flushed.

"No. That's Valerie."

"She works at the college. Guidance counsellor."

Dean gives Sam a knowing look. " Right."

"She was married to my best friend."

Sam looks closely at the photo. "That crucifix look familiar to you Dean?"

"Well I'll be." Its the same woman that bumped into Dean earlier.

"You've met Valerie?" Edward asks them.

"Oh yeah. We've met her." Dean replies.

"She seemed pretty upset." Sam adds.

"She's had a rough time."

"Oh yeah?" Dean's just mad that she stole his car keys.

"This week marks the anniversary of her daughter's death."

Sam and Dean exchange a look.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam exits the library. He hands a library card back to a pretty student.

Dean licks an ice-cream with boyish enthusiasm. He gives Sam a look of approval. "Did you get her number?"

"Dude. We're meant to be working."

"All work and no play makes Sammy a very dull boy."

Dean has ice-cream on his upper lip. He looks adorable. "You got something, there."

"What? Oh." Dean swipes the back of his hand across his mouth. "You planning on sharing?"

"Valerie's daughter Natasha was killed ten years ago when, get this, the bus she was on lost control and crashed into the lake."

"Ouch. Let me guess, blonde?"

Sam nods.

"So she's dead. And she's pissed about it. Vengeful spirit?"

Sam frowns. He's not convinced. "I don't know Dean. If it is a vengeful spirit, why wait till now? Natasha died ten years ago." Sam pauses. "Could be something else."

"Like what?"

Sam swallows. "A zombie."

Dean shakes his head. "Freaking civilians. Why are they always trying to bring back the dead?"

"She's been dead long time Dean. It's not going to be Natasha that comes back."

"And then we have to clean up the mess. Did you get an address?"

"Yeah."

"Right. Well seeing as you've got a thing for mature women you can go watch the old lady." Dean grins.

"Great."

"I'm going to go find Natasha's grave and salt and burn the bones."

Sam frowns. "Slight problem with that. Natasha's body was never found."

VALERIE'S HOME -

Sam picks the lock while Dean watches the street.

Inside the walls are covered with religious relics. There are crosses and crucifixes and porcelain Mary's and bleeding Jesus' everywhere.

"I think I'm going to puke." Dean looks at Sam. "What? Come on, this doesn't make you feel a little bit queasy?"

NATASHA'S BEDROOM -

Styled for a teenage girl. It's as though she never died. Everything is left as it was. Yet there's no dust so somebody must be keeping it clean.

"Okay now this is creepy."

Dean searches the room. "Gotcha!" He pulls a lump of blonde hair from a brush.

"Dean?"

Dean turns. Sam pushes the closet door open.

Inside the closet is an altar.

A pentagram drawn on the floor. Black candles. The JOURNAL lies open.

There's a life size dummy wearing a blonde wig.

A photo of Natasha is pinned to its chest.

"Now that's just sick" says Dean.

"You think she's summoned Natasha back already?"

Dean grabs the book. "I say we go do a little summoning ourselves. Summon the bitch and send her back to hell."

Downstairs a key is turned in the lock. Sam and Dean exchange a look. She's home. Time to leave.

They descend the stairs slowly, quietly.

Valerie is in the sitting room, taking off her coat.

Then suddenly Edward Cain moves into frame. He pulls Valerie into his arms and kisses her passionately.

Sam and Dean sneak past as the couple suck face. "I hope they remember to put their teeth back in" Dean says with a chuckle.

Sam and Dean head for their car.

"The old guy's still got it."

"Yeah, with his best friend's wife."

"That explains the guilt complex. Thou shalt not covet."

MOTEL - NIGHT

A stone bowl sits on a makeshift altar. Candles. A pentagram drawn in white chalk.

Dean fills the bowl with the hair he got from Natasha's brush.

Sam throws in a photo of the dead girl.

Dean opens the journal.

He begins the summoning ritual.

BUS -

Edward Cain whistles an upbeat tune as he drives. The bus is empty. His shift is nearly over. In the distance he can see the lights of the town. The bridge is ahead.  
He sips coffee from a flask. He smiles to himself. Thinking about Valerie and their future together.  
Suddenly the engine cuts out. The bus rolls to a stop right in the middle of the bridge.

"What the"

He starts the engine. Nothing happens.

The coffee flask starts to shake.

MOTEL -

Dean reads in Latin. The lights flicker.

Natasha appears before them. She seems surprised to have been summoned.

Sam shakes salt into the bowl.

"Wait!" Natasha cries. "No!"

Sam stops. Natasha implores him with her eyes.

"Don't listen to her Sam!"

Sam holds a lighter over the bowl. He hesitates.

"Sam!"

Suddenly the bowl is swept off the altar and flung against the wall. Natasha vanishes.

BUS -

The whole bus is now shaking.

Cracks shoot out across the road.

The bridge splits in two.


End file.
